Missouri football preseason preview: What MU should expect from South Carolina in November

When Missouri football visits South Carolina in mid-November, the tone for its season will already be more or less set.

Mizzou is 46 days away from kicking off its season Thursday, Aug. 29, against Murray State on Faurot Field in Columbia. On Tuesday, Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz will be joined by wide receiver Luther Burden III, quarterback Brady Cook and defensive tackle Kristian Williams at SEC media days in Dallas.

The Tigers are among the group of teams expected to make a push for a berth to the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff. To get there, MU will need to win a minimum of 10 games, with an 11-win regular season likely the only sure path into the playoffs.

On Nov. 16, when Mizzou faces coach Shame Beamer’s Gamecocks in Columbia, South Carolina, it will have already faced the likes of Texas A&M and Alabama on the road, and it will be coming straight off a home game against former Big 12 foe Oklahoma. 

Those games likely will decide whether or not Missouri will factor into the playoff committee’s consideration.

If the Tigers are still in contention, the road trip to South Carolina becomes oh-so-important.

Here’s what to know about South Carolina’s offseason, including key additions and playmakers to keep an eye on when the teams take the field:

More: Three transfers who could help define Missouri football’s success in 2024 season

Who are the opposing names to know when Missouri football visits South Carolina?

Quarterback: LaNorris Sellers is suiting up for his first season as South Carolina’s starter, getting his shot as a redshirt freshman as ex-starter Spencer Rattler heads to the league. Sellers threw four passes as a rookie, all against FCS Furman, and went 4-for-4 for 86 yards and two touchdowns. In two other reserve appearances, against Vanderbilt and Kentucky, he rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown on three total carries.

Offensive playmakers: Coastal Carolina transfer Jared Brown is an intriguing addition after a 1,051-yard, all-purpose year for the Chanticleers, as is Louisville newcomer Ahmari Huggins-Bruce, who brings three years of experience. 

But the real linchpin of this Gamecocks offense will be running back Raheim Sanders, who rushed for 1,443 yards for Arkansas in 2022 but spent half of last season sidelined with various injuries. If he stays healthy, that’s a major grab for coach Beamer’s team.

Defensive playmakers: Debo Williams was an All-SEC linebacker for the Gamecocks last season and returns as one of their top playmakers in 2024. South Carolina also has some stout options at defensive tackle, including T.J. Sanders, who registered 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last season, and Tonka Hemingway, who had six quarterback hurries, seven pass breakups and two fumble recoveries last year.

What did the offseason look like for Gamecocks?

Key additions: Rocket Sanders (RB); Kyle Kennard (EDGE); Bangally Kamara (LB); Dylan Stewart (DE); Jared Brown (WR); Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (WR)

Key losses: Xavier Legette (WR); Spencer Rattler (QB); Marcellas Dial (CB); Nick Gargiulo (IOL); Mario Anderson (RB); Stone Blanton (LB); Trey Knox (TE)

Key coaching changes: NA

Here’s Beamer’s biggest issue: The Gamecocks have lost their top three pass-catchers from 2023 in Carolina Panthers first-round pick Xavier Legette, tight end Trey Knox and wide receiver Ahmarean Brown. They’ve lost their leading rusher, Mario Anderson, to Memphis in the portal. They’ve lost Rattler, their quarterback, who was a fifth-round draft pick to the Saints.

In total, per a table from ESPN’s Bill Connely, South Carolina is returning 52% of its offensive production from last season. That ranks 94th in the FBS. For reference, Mizzou returns 79%, which sits at 16th in the country.

With 22 total commitments, 247Sports ranks South Carolina’s transfer class at No. 16 nationally, a couple spots behind Missouri. Plenty of that work was acquiring offensive playmakers.

Some in-season chatter circulated last season that USC defensive coordinator Clayton White might be on the hot seat, but he remains in the role for a fourth season after giving up the third-most yards per game (395.8) in the SEC last season.

Early forecast for Mizzou at South Carolina

This has been Missouri’s game since Drinkwitz arrived in Columbia.

Mizzou has won each of its past five games against the Gamecocks, including a 4-0 record in its current head coach’s tenure. As it stands, MU should be favored this time around, too.

There aren’t many easy road trips in the SEC, though, and South Carolina has some players that could, on any given Saturday, cause a team some serious problems. Sellers is a true dual threat, and Sanders can give any team the runaround.

Mizzou completely shut South Carolina down last season. If Missouri is a two-loss team at the time of its visit to Williams-Brice Stadium, it might have to put the same type of hurt on the Gamecocks to boost its resume. If it’s managed to keep single-digit losses or fewer, any type of win will do.

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